
oldsmobile-digest           Tuesday, 7 May 1996        Volume 01 : Number 169


----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: jrjet@whidbey.net (Dot & Tim McChesney)
Date: Mon, 6 May 1996 22:00:10 -0300
Subject: Re: I lied on HEI last post 

 I have a HEI  in my 71, patched staight into fuse block with 10 wire(
replaces the original wire and resistance wire ) gasket for oil control
sill in place. You could run staight to battery but won't be able to shut
her down.

Tim 71 convert cutlass

------------------------------

From: Mike Hall <mikehal1@ix.netcom.com>
Date: Tue, 7 May 1996 01:18:32 -0300
Subject: Auto Humour2

"New FORD Slogans"

As presented on the April 29th, 1996 broadcast of LATE SHOW with DAVID 
LETTERMAN:

10. Where there's smoke, there's a FORD.
 9. Have you driven a FORD to the fire station lately?
 8. Forget Chevy -- we've got the real Blazer!
 7. Available in original or extra crispy.
 6. Now every Bronco is as exciting as O.J.'s.
 5. FORD, the UnaBomber of the highways.
 4. Quality is Job One, putting out the fire is Job Two...
 3. Like a rock -- a rock of hot, molten lava.
 2. Aren't you tired of cops who stop you for speeding and ask, "Where's 
the fire?".
 1. Click...VRoom...KABOOM!!!


<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Michael R. Hall                            Ortonville, Michigan
E-Mail: mikehal1@ix.netcom.com
Owner: 1972 Oldsmobile Cutlass S, 380 horses of pure Mondello fun...
Owner: 1991 Oldsmobile Eighty-Eight Royale Broughm, the classy one...
Owner: 1994 GMC Sonoma Club Coupe SLS Pickup.
         Brought to you by a Apple Power Macintosh 7100/80
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

------------------------------

From: Mike Hall <mikehal1@ix.netcom.com>
Date: Tue, 7 May 1996 01:18:51 -0300
Subject: Auto Humour

Automobile Acronyms

AUDI
Accelerates Under Demonic Influence
Always Unsafe Designs Implemented

BMW
Beautiful Mechanical Wonder
Big Money Works
Bought My Wife
Brutal Money Waster

BUICK
Big Ugly Indestructible Car Killer

CHEVROLET
Can Hear Every Valve Rap On Long Extended Trips
Cheap, Hardly Efficient, Virtually Runs On Luck Every Time

DODGE
Damn Old Dirty Gas Eater
Drips Oil, Drops Grease Everywhere

FIAT
Failure in Italian Automotive Technology
Fix It All the Time
Fix It Again, Tony!

FORD
First On Recall Day
F****** Old Rebuilt Dodge
First On Rust and Deterioration
Fix or Repair Daily
Found On Road, Dead
Fault Of R&D
Fast Only Rolling Downhill
Features O.J. and Ron's DNA
backwards ---> Driver Returns On Foot

G.M.
General Maintenance

G.M.C.
Garage Man's Companion
Got a Mechanic Coming?

HONDA
Had One Never Did Again

HYUNDAI
Hope You Understand Nothing's Drivable And Inexpensive...

MAZDA
Most Always Zipping Dangerously Along

OLDSMOBILE
Old Ladies Driving Slowly Make Others Behind Infuriatingly Late Every day
Overpriced, Leisurely Driven Sedan Made Of Buick's Irregular Leftover 
Equipment

SAAB
Send Another Automobile Back
Swedish Automobiles Always Breakdown

TOYOTA
Too Often Yankees Overprice This Auto

VW
Virtually Worthless

NISSAN
Now In Stupid Shape, Always Nasty


<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Michael R. Hall                            Ortonville, Michigan
E-Mail: mikehal1@ix.netcom.com
Owner: 1972 Oldsmobile Cutlass S, 380 horses of pure Mondello fun...
Owner: 1991 Oldsmobile Eighty-Eight Royale Broughm, the classy one...
Owner: 1994 GMC Sonoma Club Coupe SLS Pickup.
         Brought to you by a Apple Power Macintosh 7100/80
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

------------------------------

From: Toronado66@aol.com
Date: Tue, 7 May 1996 00:48:50 -0300
Subject: Stiff Automatic Gear Selector 

To all Olds owners with automatics:

Has anyone ever experienced a real stiff gear selector?  So stiff, in fact,
you REALLY have to get on the selector arm to go from park to drive. This
problem seems to have occured with about half of the Toros I owned. It also
seems worse after a long winter storge!

OK...been through the obvious. WD-40'd the linkages (on steering column and
pivot where it goes into the transmission) and had some relief, but not much.
I was told that if you gently tap the pivot with a Ford wrench (hammer) you
dislodge crud that builds up on the internal connection inside the
tranny......tried....but doesn't work. Maybe I should REALLy give it a rap?
 ): 

I guess I'm down to some sort of binding that is occurring "within" the
steering column sleeve before it even gets to the end of the shaft and before
the connecting arm linkage.

I have had Toros that are so silky you can shift them with one finger, others
you need two hands to slelect your gear!!

This really bugs me!

TIA

Greg

------------------------------

From: Bob Valentine <ravalent@liii.com>
Date: Tue, 7 May 1996 01:32:17 -0300
Subject: Re: I lied on HEI last post

On Mon, 6 May 1996, Pat Clark 952-3776 wrote:

> busted shafts I finally got a nice unit off of a 74 Delta (it even had a tach
> so I got the tach wire plug in). After getting it home and looking at it (first
> HEI I have ever really looked at) I have a couple of questions. 

> First, is this whole thing really fed by one wire? 

     Yep.  Just run a wire back to the fuse panel or ignition switch.  DO 
NOT use the wire from the old coil - it's resistance wire.

> I don't use my stock coil anymore because its built into the HEI cap 
> now right?

     I'd hope so.  ;^)

> Third, does the unit ground itself to the block by contact? If so I probably
> won't use the o-ring that seals my old points dist at the block because that
> would eliminate my ground right? 

    Yes, however you will want to have a o-ring otherwise you will have 
a nice oil leak.    Best I can tell, the ground is thru the hold-down clamp.
I've never had a problem with a badly grounded HEI.

>    Can I hook my rally pac tach feed straight into the tach outlet on 
>    the side of the HEI? 

    Yes.

> and disconnecting others, can I just swap in the HEI and run the hot wire 
> straight to the + battery post to test it out? Will it hurt to drive it around the block a few times like this?

    Yes - this is what you'd be feeding the unit in normal operation 
anyway.  

                     -->   Bob Valentine  <--  
                    --> ravalent@liii.com  <--
        "Experience varies directly with equipment ruined"

------------------------------

From: johnspr@ix.netcom.com (JOHN PRESTON )
Date: Tue, 7 May 1996 08:58:56 -0300
Subject: Re: hurst prices

You wrote: 
>
>
>Got these out of the Auto Trader Online search. For $1.00 they will 
give you
>the phone numbers! My kingdom for 4 grand!
>
>
>Rare 15th Anniversary, 1983 OLDSMOBILE HURST, 2-door, auto,
>lighting rodshifters, t-tops, am/fm cassette, tint, needs water pump, 
all
>original,114000 MILES, second owner, $3900 or best offer, call
>XXX-XXX-XXXX, 9 am-9pm, AUSTIN
>
>1983 OLDSMOBILE Hurst, BLACK w/T-tops, tint, 3 shift auto, new
>dual exhaust,rebuilt carborator, new battery & alternator, excellent 
shape,
>$3500negotiable (XXX)XXX-XXXX OKC
>
>
>1984 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS HURST, loaded, sunroof, alarm, 307,
>air conditioning, 4-speed, auto, $3800, XXX-XXX-XXXX hm, Johnny,
>XXX-XXXX dig, pgr., SA, TX
>
>
>
>These prices seem very low to me
>

Stopped and looked at an '84 H/O sitting beside the road in my 
community (Rochester, NY) yesterday.  "T-tops, loaded, PA car (note: 
that's a 'plus' around here, lo miles (couldn't see the odometer 
through the T-top tint), $5600 OBO."  Personal observations: think it 
has been repainted with proper decals; the chrome on the wheels was 
pitted, undercarriage very clean.

On a personal note.......finally purchased a Cutlass I can sink my 
teeth into - an '87 with those cool aero headlites, both doors must be 
replaced due to rot, but it's not a car that's been abused, 104k mi, 
got it for $1600.  Hope to be able to stop the extensive rust 
underneath and make this a summer-only vehicle.  May eventually move 
the 455 from my '78 Malibou to the '87 and make disguise it under all 
the A/C, vacuum lines, and wiring of the '87.

------------------------------

From: "Shawn M. Twomey" <stwom@ctp.com>
Date: Tue, 7 May 1996 10:47:06 -0300
Subject: Re: hurst prices 

>     I'm kinda leery about that '84 though.  AFAIK, '84 H/O's couldn't be 
>     had with a sunroof.  Just hardtop or T-top.  Although a sun/moon roof 
>     was available on other Cutlass' of that year, so you never know.

You could indeed get the power sunroof on the '84 Hurst, but you have to
give up about two inches of head room due to the way the mechanism was
designed.  Heard this from a Lansing plant worker-says he saw a few like
this.  As I'm pretty short, and I'm finding out first hand that t-tops
aren't always a ball of wax (Andy, did you ever have problems with yours and
fixed them?), I'd LOVE to find one of these cars.  Man, I wish I could get
to Texas somehow....
  
>     Listing 4-speed auto, air, etc. like they do is a bit redundant too, 
>     you don't have much choice, they're standard.

Yeah, I must admit, this sort of thing bothers me when I look at adds, but I
GUESS a car can be well taken care of without knowing that much about it.

__________________________________________________________________________
Shawn M. Twomey     |  "No!  Try NOT!  Do, or do not.  There is no try."
stwom@ctp.com       |  -Yoda
__________________________________________________________________________

------------------------------

From: Mike Frederick <edison3@cpeq.com>
Date: Tue, 7 May 1996 14:38:40 -0300
Subject: CCN Test

No messages since noon yesterday.  ???	
Sorry for the inconvenience.

Oldsmobile, Oldsmobile, Oldsmobile.

Mike

------------------------------

From: Greg Beaulieu <ab348>
Date: Tue, 7 May 1996 11:45:40 -0300
Subject: Re: CCN Test

Hi, sorry for the inconvenience, majordomo seems to be having some 
problems with a new address and it seems to have brought down the whole 
list. Working on it, please be patient.

Greg Beaulieu        ab348@ccn.cs.dal.ca        Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

------------------------------

From: "Bruce D. Brumm" <bdbrumm@ix.netcom.com>
Date: Tue, 7 May 1996 14:50:49 -0300
Subject: Re: Edelbrock manifold and Hedman headers

John Schmich wrote:

> 
>      Second, I'm not sure exactly sure what this thing is called or does but
> it is a horseshoe shaped part that slides into the inatake manifold on the
> passenger side.  A metal line coming off a part on the carb sticks into this
> and then on the outlet side another metal line goes into the back of the
> carb.  This part must sit in the water jacket stream but I'm not sure.
> Anyway, you will have to slightly bend this part to conform to the slot in
> the manifold.  Otherwise, it won't sit flat and seal.

I believe what you are referring to is the carb choke heater.  I believe it sits
in the exhaust port "stream"; the hot air (via the horseshoe-shaped tube) warms/
controlls the carb choke thermostat.  I forget the exact name of this type of
choke heater.  Anyone?
- -- 

Bruce D. Brumm (bdbrumm@ix.netcom.com)
Network & Systems Administrator
LDM Technologies, Inc.
Troy, MI

'84 Cutlass Supreme 307-Y
'86 Cutlass Salon 307-Y

------------------------------

From: Greg Beaulieu <ab348>
Date: Tue, 7 May 1996 13:29:05 -0300
Subject: Back In Business

Hi all,

Sorry for the problems but our list mananger software had a hiccup last
night and we just got it cleared up. Things should be working fine now. I
suspect that messages from late last night and this morning are probably
gone forever, so if you sent something and haven't seen it come back, it
probably won't. If you feel it's important, go ahead and send it once
more. 

I'm going to be away for a couple of days so hopefully things will be 
fine while I'm gone. 

Greg Beaulieu        ab348@ccn.cs.dal.ca        Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

------------------------------

From: "Chris Brown Witt" <wittchri@pilot.msu.edu>
Date: Tue, 7 May 1996 14:42:09 -0300
Subject: Padnos/ Auto-psy [heh!]

Took the 307 roller cam engine back yesterday, sans 6A heads, intake, a piston,
roller cam & lifters... There's a BIG pile o' engines just dropped off.
Including:
- -TWO 1977 403-X blocks
- -a gold [older] 350 down in there
- -an ALL-ALUMINUM V8! with trans, 2V carb, mostly still there, not too banged
up. Today I called a local guy was looking for one a while back, directed him
to it.
- -and, a pair of #5 heads, which I bought.
- - no W30 heads this time, unless buried under the stacks...

     The Auto-psy:
The dead 425: the plot thickens... took off the intake and saw... a bent
pushrod. Just one. The #2 intake to be exact. What's this, major slop in the #2
xst rocker, where'd that come from? Oh, the lifter bottom has a CHUNK out of
it. Dang! Ate the cam & lifters, too!?
  Extract the rockers, p'rods, lifters. Lifters #1X, 2X, 3X are bad eaten,
we're talking like 1/8" of metal wiped out of the bottom of the lifter.
Wiped off those cam lobes, of course, and #5X had just started. Yet, only the
#2I p'rod was bent... go figure. More investigation into say retainer-guide
interference will be done, but that was checked before assembly...
  Since the eaten lifters are all in the vicinity of the major heat & burning,
I am wondering if perhaps the heat from the bearings killed the camshaft, and
the particles of bearing also helped grind it to pieces.
  Other clues: The oil filter has yet to be inspected inside, but the bypass in
the filter mount had def'ly been used- a couple of large [1.5x10mm] pieces are
hung up in the bypass disc.

So, at this point, I am thinking either retainer-guide interference wiped cam
which then filled filter with particles which then a) opened bypass and fed
particles to bearings and fried them.... and b) created excess pressure
where the hose leaves the block, blowing it off despite a good clamping, etc.
  -or-
Hose blew off first, which led to oil-less bearings & cam starting to come
apart, entering that viscious cycle.

The problem I have with the 1st version is that after the initial 3-min. run,
when the 1-2 rod bearings got eaten, and the crank ground & polished again,
there were no bent pushrods, no indication that there was any undue lifter-cam
action or valvetrain interference. During ass'y, all rockers were shimmed to
achieve about 1/4 to 1/2 turn of clearance... which is about .020-.040" lifter
preload. Absolutley NO indication of valve-piston interference. [Wow, something
that can be ruled out!].
  Other problem is that the #2I p'rod was the only bender, but its lifter &
lobe are unscathed- saved by the bent pushrod perhaps... Much detective work to
do yet...

Oh, yeah, come to find out, this external filter/ cooler thing was installed
because the engine used to overheat. Sheesh. That has been the source of all
this engine's problems, as I see it. Don't think it'll be reinstalled.

- --
Chris  B. Witt         *the* Rocket Scientist
wittchri@pilot.msu.edu

------------------------------

From: David Paulison <dpauliso@metrolink.net>
Date: Sat, 4 May 1996 14:36:20 -0300
Subject: Re: Back In Business

At 01:29 PM 5/7/96 -0300, you wrote:

>Sorry for the problems but our list mananger software had a hiccup last
>night and we just got it cleared up. Things should be working fine now. I
>suspect that messages from late last night and this morning are probably
>gone forever,

Was wondering why I only had 2 messages this afternoon, instead of the usual 
thirty of forty...
- --
Dave Paulison          Melbourne, Florida        69 Cutlass Supreme
dpauliso@metrolink.net

 "I was put on this earth to accomplish a certain number of things;
    right now I'm so far behind, I'll never die"  --Calvin

------------------------------

From: Mike Frederick <edison3@cpeq.com>
Date: Tue, 7 May 1996 18:38:47 -0300
Subject: Re: Back In Business

Greg Beaulieu wrote:
>
> I'm going to be away for a couple of days so hopefully things will be
> fine while I'm gone.

Hopefully...

Have a good trip.

The 66 Toro and Mike


- -- 
Michael R. Frederick, CEO
Edison3, Incorporated
Tampa, Florida
(813) 210-8649

------------------------------

From: "Bruce D. Brumm" <bdbrumm@ix.netcom.com>
Date: Tue, 7 May 1996 19:13:59 -0300
Subject: Re: Edelbrock manifold and Hedman headers

> John Schmich wrote:
> 
>
>      Second, I'm not sure exactly sure what this thing is called or does but
> it is a horseshoe shaped part that slides into the inatake manifold on the
> passenger side.  A metal line coming off a part on the carb sticks into this
> and then on the outlet side another metal line goes into the back of the
> carb.  This part must sit in the water jacket stream but I'm not sure.
> Anyway, you will have to slightly bend this part to conform to the slot in
> the manifold.  Otherwise, it won't sit flat and seal.

I believe what you are referring to is the carb choke heater.  I believe it sits
in the exhaust port "stream"; the hot air (via the horseshoe-shaped tube) warms/
controlls the carb choke thermostat.  I forget the exact name of this type of
choke heater.  Anyone?
- -- 

Bruce D. Brumm (bdbrumm@ix.netcom.com)
Network & Systems Administrator
LDM Technologies, Inc.
Troy, MI

'84 Cutlass Supreme 307-Y
'86 Cutlass Salon 307-Y

------------------------------

From: "Chris Brown Witt" <wittchri@pilot.msu.edu>
Date: Tue, 7 May 1996 16:30:53 -0300
Subject: misc stuffs

> I'm a new subscriber to the Olds list, and I was wondering if someone out
> there could answer a few questions.  I am starting to restore my wife's '84
> Cutlass Calais (Buick v-6, T-tops,HD Suspension, etc.).  It's in good shape
> overall with one major exception-MAJOR Rust in the rear frame sections
> directly behind the rear wheels. I don't want to just scab it up with
> plates, so here goes-
> 1) My preference is to swap the frame with a rust free one.  I know it's a
> lot of work, but I want it right the first time. (And I have done a similar

There's folk out west who'll deliver a frame for about what, $600 or so? That'd
be the best route. Or, you could go there yourself if you have a truck and/or
trailer, buy a rolled or similar vehicle for the frame, haul it back. Big $ for
travel though.
- -Chris-

> From: Bob0Barry@aol.com
> Subject: Factory Mags for a 1st gen. Toronado?
> Well, I called a guy who listed a '70 Toro, whole or for parts.
>
> Then he says something that I wasn't expecting: "Yeah, it's got the factory
> aluminum wheels, all in good shape."
>
> Now I've never heard of or seen a factory aluminum wheel for the first
> generation Toronado. So, either this guy has an incredibly rare and unusual
> option that I can buy and put on my '69, or he is an insane cannibal and I am
> better off without a working comfortron.

Only the manual trans Cadillac Toros got those wheels. :) -Chris-

> From: OLDSPWR@aol.com
> Subject: Lifter preload...
> Can anybody send me some directions on how to adjust the lifter preload on my
> 403 (in the car...)  I think I have a valve hanging up (not fully closing due
> to a poor valve job) ) and would like to adjust the valve train using the
> shim stock (in .010 increments) that was mentioned earlier.  I understand
> that you have to shim both the intake and exhaust, but it is much cheaper
> than Mondello's goodies... Thanks in advance Tom Millard OLDSPWR@aol.com

Yes, you want 1/4 to 1.5 turns of the pivot bolt from when the lifter plunger
just starts to move until pivot is tight. I just posted all them numbrs about 2
weeks ago. You can shim under the pedestal to achieve fewer turns. Summit has
shims kits. Clearance is to be checked with the lifters nowhere near their cam
lobes of course!  On cam base circle only.
    The real question is, do you in fact have a valve not closing, and if
so, WHY? Where did the 0.200 of adjustment in the lifter [like 0.300" of valve
movement!] go to? Burned valve? Stuck lifter plunger? I saw a J head at Padnos
the other day- an xst valve was burnt SO BAD... it had a V burned into it from
the edge almost all the way to the stem.
   To answer the real question, do a compression check on that cylinder. Then,
put that cyl. at tdc compression- ready to fire. Apply a TINY air leak thru the
spark plug hole using one of them adapters. Listen for leakage in the intake
[carb] and exshaust [tailpipe]. That'll tell you if/ where it's leaking. Use a
hose for a listening device/ stethescope.  -Chris-

> From: OLDSPWR@aol.com
> Great news! For anybody who has seen my 79 Cutlass on Bryce's page or
> followed some of my letters:  Today I ran 13.990s @ 96.99mph at Numidea

- -Cool! Congrats... just think if you put on some 7a heads, have 9.5
compression... -Chris-

> From: Toronado66@aol.com
> Subject: Re: It's Dead!
> Chris,
> Forgive me for being blunt here, as I have nowhere near the motor knowledge
> you and the others have, but.......if I went through all that work initially
> (especially on a race car) and knew what the car was going to endure, knowing
> that oil is the engines blood basically, why do you use a silly 75 cent clamp
> on such a potentially disaster causing failure situation? Why aren't you
> using special hoses with threads and fittings along with seals and retainers?
> It almost sounds as silly to me as those who use a rubber fuel line between
> the fuel pump and carb!!!! You are ASKING for trouble...IMHO.

I agree. The remote oil system had not been a problem before, that I know of.
Personally, I would have run hydraulic line or all steel line with either
double-flared or compression fittings, but that was not considered important
since no problems were evident before. The car also has the rubber fuel line;
it sort of has to, to make carb swaps realativley easy. The Holley [ooooooh!]
carb has no provision for any but a hose clamped in place. Hell, the cooling
system relies on the same sort of hose clamps, and they hardly ever fail. The
hoses might burst or something, but a clamp failure..... rare. See my 'autopsy'
post for more musings on whether the chicken or the egg came 1st...

   Morals: the oil pressure kill switch is being moved to the oil filter
housing, right at the pump's output, before filter or anything. I have tapped
into the oil filter mount for this purpose. Don't use a Taiwan dipstick unless
you can recalibrate it for the correct readings. If you suspect that the engine
has run w/o oil for even a few seconds, tear it down NOW before the damage
multiplies.  Use true hydraulic fittings for hot pressurized oil. 90-degree
petcocks in the block's drain holes make draining coolant a pleasure rather
than a chore :)

> If those are too expensive or are not an available part, make one out of
> heavy guage large bore break line! Flange the ends, make couplings...end of
> story.....no more oil failure! Do the same thing that is done with the tranny
> fluid coolers on the early Toros. You don't see a rubber line there do ya?

Only trouble with that is the routing- not too bad, and the fact that the
cooler unit has again no provision for anything but a clamped hose... Maybe it
could be fitted with compression fittings, or a hydraulic fitting brazed in
place I guess... -Chris-

> I feel a bit awkward giving you advice, but it seems like an obviuos solution
> to me. Let me know if I am off base on my rationale here.....keep in mind I
> am only trying to help..... not accusing you of poor Oldsmobiling!  (:
> Greg K

That's what I asked for... thanks! Makes sense. If it were up to me, that's
what I'd do. -Chris-

>      OUCH!   This one tops that April fool's bit for making us cringe!  So,
> umm, uh, I guess... Congrats on graduating, at least?!
> (I hope ~that~ went OK for you!!!)
>       Charley Buehner       | "buehner@cis.nmclites.edu"

Yeah, it was a blur, lost in the shuffle of the torture session. -Chris-

>      Yeah, I suppose it's just like those aftermarket transcoolers (you
> know, the ones that cost $30000, but come with 15 cent clamps!)  It's one of
> those deals where the reasoning of "if it aint broke..." seems to fit.
> There's not a very high failure rate to be concerned with, but it only takes
> one disaster to change that fact.  If I were to be doing it (now) I imagine

For want of a nail, a shoe was lost... for want of a shoe, a horse was lost...
for want of a horse a battle was lost... for that, the war was lost. Who was it
that said that it's them small details that can kill ya? Chris Urban?

> And let's face it, sometimes we are more in need of sympathy than
> information!

Heh, I'll take some, thanks! -Chris-

- --Why did I get about 30 of these today?...
> From: postmaster@mke.ab.com
> Date: Mon, 6 May 1996 10:39:52 -0300
> Subject: [none]

> busted shafts I finally got a nice unit off of a 74 Delta (it even had a tach
> so I got the tach wire plug in). After getting it home and looking at it (firs

Factory tach? get it!]

> I get about .05 -.1 of *axial* motion. Is this acceptable? (seems like it woul
> be).

Not a problem. The gear sits on a machined pad in the engine, and the cam
gear's rotation tends to keep it planted there, just as the oil pump's tork,
thru those gears, tends to keep the cam rearward in the block... As long as the
dist'r housing does not sit down too far and press against the drive gear,
or sit too high such that the drive gear never reaches its pad in the block, all
is well. -Chris-

> Never having built an engine, or never even having done major internal
> engine work, I can't imagine how you must feel. I should go back and
> re-read the whole thing again, cuz I'm still unsure whether the hose
> blowoff was the whole problem, or why the bearings let go the first time,

Um, some bonehead neglected to ensure an adequate supply of oil to the engine.
It was stand-primed, but then the external oil filter/ cooler/ lines were
attached... they took 3-4 qts more to fill. Moral: prime the engine IN PLACE if
at all possible. Thus, I swallowed hard & cheerfully paid all damage repair
myself. Tore engine completely apart, used new lifters, etc. drained & washed
out the entire remote oil system. New bearings, fresh crank. No half-assed or
cheseball work. I wanted NO more incidents.

> or why the switch didn't kill the engine when there was no OP.

Location? Who knows? The mechanical OP gage taps into the same location, and
read zero pressure, and the MSD was still firing merrily away, as if the OPKill
switch was not even hooked up- but it was. It later worked fine, in fact. I
believe that residual pressure from the lifter gallery was enough to fool the
OPKill switch into thinking all was well. Thus the relocation to the filter
housing for next time. -Chris-

> Mebbe you should do the IRC thing on Thursday if you can.
> Greg Beaulieu        ab348@ccn.cs.dal.ca        Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Don't have time to learn yet another new computer thing right now... -Chris-

> reference "new rear frame section" or something similar. The way they
> read it almost sounds like GM makes a repair piece just for this purpose,
> otherwise there must be a lot of cutting, welding and bolting involved.
> Might be worth a call to the nearest helpful Olds or GM dealer. It's at
> least plausible that they might make a repair piece, since these are
> known to have a serious rust problem in that area, especially the later
> models.
> Greg Beaulieu        ab348@ccn.cs.dal.ca        Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Yeah, and for damage repair, it's not at all uncommon for frame pieces to be
available from the dealers or from aftermarket suppliers who do that sort of
thing. A body shop should know... -Chris-

> DOA:
> Bummer, Chris!

You, sir, are a master of understatement! -Chris-

> From: Scott Robert Kietzmann <srobert@csd.uwm.edu>
> Subject: 1968 Cutlass For Sale, Milwaukee
> Please somebody buy my Cutlass... I would love to see it go to an
> oldsmobile enthusiast!  I am asking $950.00 for it and it is a VERY good
> deal!!  If you live in the Milwaukee area and would like more info, send
> me email.. Or give me a call at 423-1454.  It will be in the May 12th
> Sunday paper for $1,100.00.  So let me know soon!!!
> Scott
> srobert@alpha2.csd.uwm.edu

Buckets? 350? rear ratio? Spill yer guts! Body condition? Flaws?
- -Chris-

> I believ that's the size of it. However I'm not using a seal and no oil
> leaks yet. Just make sure the surfaces on both the dist and the block are
> clean and reletively smooth for a good seal. If you want to se a seal it
> will be a metal shim washer not a rubber one. If you use a rubber one, if
> you find such a thing, ot to worry about ground since the bolt latch will
> ground it anyway.

O-ring seals oil in, dirt out. Use no 'washer' under dist'r housing. Any
necessary ground, such as for points, can take place thru dist/ block contact
and/or dist'r clamp. -Chris-

> re-curve kit. You will notice a big difference. Becareful when putting the
> re-curve you will need to re-set the initial timming as the lighter weights
> will cause the timing to become more advanced. You will here pingging. So
> keep taht in mind.

Lighter *springs*, I presume you mean? Lighter WEIGHTS would not fly out as
enthusiastically as a heavier weight... right? -Chris-

> underside of the cap _next_ to them, and which you broke the ears off of
> when you tried to remove it :-) is the ground for the coil.

- -That's the truth! -Chris-

> 12 V at all times.  You end up connecting the start and run wires to the
> single connection on the HEI.  So there is only one connection but both
> ignition wires on that connection.

The Start wire, or bypass wire from the starter relay, can be left off as long
as the new non-resistor 12V wire is hot during ign switch START and ON
positions. One less wire to attach as you hold the 50# starter up and fumble
for the nuts and washers that dance away like things possessed... Why is there
not a quick-connect somewhere along that line?
  Anyhow, see the whole story on Bryceman's web page, under tech stuffs...
- -Chris-

> One other item - when you pull the HEI out of the donor car take a look at
> the way the plug wires are routed.  The number one cylinder position for the
> HEI is 180 degrees different from the earlier points systems, at least up

Well, almost... I just went thru this on the race car... points' ign usually
place #1 wire just left of the front of the dist'r cap; HEI likes to have it
just to the left of the REAR of the dist'r, so the rotor points about at the
driver when firing #1. I copied the drawing from Chilton's, the very utmost
authority on all things automotive [ahem...]. -Chris-

> Subject: Re: It's Dead!
>
> I use a Trans-Dapt oil filter relocation unit on my '67.  It came with high
> pressure Good Year lines which go over barb fittings.  There are no clamps at
> all and to date not even a hint of coming loose.  These lines are large using

No clamps, no failure. Use clamps, it falls of... go figure. Maybe that's why
it ate the rod bearings- I used NUTS to fasten the rod caps on! :)

> 1/2 inch pipe fittings to mate with the aluminum adapters.  My oil pressure

Sounds exactly like what I had there. Very sharp barbs, though, so that every
time the engine came out, we had to cut the hose off the barbs, and lose about
2" of hose...  -Chris-

> been on the car for some time now with no problems.  Sure beats the screw
> driver method of filter removal and oil all over the headers.

They *do* make oil filter wrenches, ya know! Screwdriver, indeed!

> It saddens me to hear a 425 may have died.  Best motor Olds ever made (of
> that era).  The 455 can't rev as high or easy and is more tempermental versus
> oiling.
> The bearings you burned at the front of the engine would indicate the first
> areas to lose pressure.  I hope that forged crank can be saved.
> Bob Handren

Yeah, it can be saved... for an example. Actually, the small block 440 cid plan
grinds it down to chevy size anyhow, right, about another 1/4" smaller. So,
it'd still be good for that. It was ground 30/30/ 20/20/ 20/20/ 20/20 on the
rods and 20 on all mains anyhow. There's a few left around here. Speaking of
which, remember I told y'all about that guy selling cranks for $100 with
bearings... I found his number again, he is COD'ing a 425 crank to me, with
bearings, all for about $150, barely more than the price of a grind! I think he
has a 455 unit, too. -Chris-

> From: urbanch@magi.com (Chris Urban)
> Subject: Re: It's Dead!
>         You know Chris its funny, but if I had a nickel for every person
> that came to me after one of their earleir attempts at building an engine
> went wrong, It seems to always be something small that triggers a series of
> events that eventually destroys an otherwise healthy engine. A word of
> advice, the small details are sometimes THE most important.

Well, this is certainly not one of my earlier attempts; I have done several
engines with far more success than this... Sure is amazing how FAST a thousand
dollars in parts & machine work can burn up. Scary. -Chris-

>      Second, I'm not sure exactly sure what this thing is called or does but
> it is a horseshoe shaped part that slides into the inatake manifold on the
> passenger side.  A metal line coming off a part on the carb sticks into this
> and then on the outlet side another metal line goes into the back of the
> carb.  This part must sit in the water jacket stream but I'm not sure.

That provides heat for the choke. No coolant in the middle of the intake, but
there is that exhaust crossover-that's what the tube sits in. Exhaust.

>      Third, the opening plane on the intake manifold inwhich the carb sits
> above is different than stock 307 manifold.  On the 3711, There is two
> (front-rear) slots next to each other.  If you have ever seen, the stock has
> 4 seperate openings the the carb.  With this different design, a aftermarket
> (intake to carb) gasket will be best.  The stock gasket would probaly
> restrict the flow of air and defeat the purpose of the performance
> standpoint of  this manifold ( I presume ).

Doubt if gasket makes any difference as long as it a) does not block any of the
carb bores and b) seals around the perimeter of the carb bores' area. Since the
carb itself has 4 individual bores, the shape of the intake 0.050" below that
matters little... -Chris-

>      Fourth, the bolts holding down the water neck on the stock manifold go
> directly down into the block.  On the 3711, there are no holes for the bolts

into the BLOCK? Don't think so... Are you trying to say that the 3711 Tstat
bolt holes are not deep enough to accomodate the stock t'stat housing bolts?
Use studs & nuts, then... -Chris-

> Hedman headers for Olds SB
>      These headers came with all the mounting hardware such as nice new
> bolts, gaskets, and 2-1/4" collectors that has an O2 sensor inlet in one.
>      Personal experience notes:
>      When we first put the engine in the car, we didn't put the headers on
> thinking it would be much harder to get it in straight and a lot easier to
> do it later.  Boy were we wrong.  We had to lift the engine up about 8 times
> to get the header to fit between the head and power steering rod on the
> driver side.

My favorite method: sit headers in place, bungee them near where they belong.
Install engine to motor mounts & trans, then attach headers to engine. You are
aware of course that when they say that headers 'fit' a car that means 'sort of
fits, after 1 or 3 sessions with a BFH applied to the header and/or the
firewall and/or frame and/or A/C ducting...'  There's ALWAYS some custom
fitting required. I torched off part of the race car's frame that kept hitting
the left header. What body style/ year you got again???  Not uncommon to have
to do 2-3 header extractions to fit them up properly  the 1st time.

> I also had to rebuy the dipstick tube 3 times because of these
> headers.  Because the stock manifolds just connected into one outlet and
> went directly down, the dipstick tube didn't get in the way.  With the
> Hedman headers, the dipstick tube has to be slid down in between the two
> middle exhaust tubes after the headers are already on the heads.  This makes
> it impossible to put them on  with the dipstick tube in and with the engine
> on the mounts.

This is a sore spot with headers... If you don't have a Rocket Science or
similar damage-free dipstick tube extractor, you get to buy a lot of new ones.
Here's what I do now, esp. if headers are involved: drill the block,
perpendicular to the dipstick tube hole, 3/8" below the guide tube boss,
straight into the guide tube hole. Drill size to tap for 10-32 set screw. Tap
it thusly. gently hammer [flatten] the 2 bulges in the guide tube until it's a
LIGHT press fit into the block.  Use gasket goo to seal the bulges, and a set
screw, which bears against the guide tube right between the bulges if you
drilled the hole right, to help hold it. Only tighten that set screw slightly.
You can also support the guide tube at the 4th back header bolt with a readily
available 5/16" line clamp, drilled to accept a 3/8" bolt [the header bolt].
  Install headers, then guide tube, using the space where the starter isn't yet
to help guide the guide tube in place and assure that it's full seated. Access
to the set screw is easy too. -Chris-

>      As for the headers themselves, they weren't produced with quality in
> mind.  The first and second time I started the car up, the paint on the
> headers melted off.  Already, all the paint has melted off around the ports.

You try to find paint that will hold up there... Jet-Hot coating is the only
treatment I have seen that really stands up to that environment. -Chris-

>  The headers are much bigger than stock manifolds so they sit a lot
> lower.

Big-block headers on a small-block, perhaps???]

>      As you might be able to tell, I am not happy with the product I
> recieved.  The problems with getting them in there is understandable, but
> the quality and the way they conform to the car is horrible.  I do not
> recomend these but I'm unsure about how other companies are with there product

"We're cheaper... bacause we're NOT AS GOOD!"  Heh!
- --
Chris  B. Witt         *the* Rocket Scientist
wittchri@pilot.msu.edu

------------------------------

From: "Paul R. K. Kuromoto" <suntzu@ohana.com>
Date: Tue, 7 May 1996 17:20:42 -0300
Subject: Methods of painting headers

I've heard of several methods of getting paint to stick to headers.  
Almost all of them include heating up or baking the paint in several 
stages so that it does not just "burn off" at one time.  One method 
involves using a propane torch but I haven't seen much success with that 
method in friends' cars that have employed it.  Another method I've heard 
of but never tried is to fire up the car, let it run until you smell the 
paint a little, then shut it down and let it cool off.  Repeat until the 
paint smell is gone.  Obviously, this is no good for breaking in an 
engine, and in any event will take lots and lots of time, but perhaps the 
results may be worth it? -shrug-

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
 I used to think that the Information age would spawn a great
 revolution as more people got smarter due to access to more
 information.  To the contrary, now that any idiot can use the
 Net, the integrity of the information contained therein has
 been corrupted.                          --Suntzu@ohana.com
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

------------------------------

From: proietto@dow.on.doe.ca (Proietto, F.)
Date: Tue, 7 May 1996 03:05:20 -0300
Subject: HEI post correction

Sorry Pat, 
        I lied too. Thanks to Chris, he caught a slip on my part. What I 
ment to say was that be carefull when using the re-curve kits, use the 
lighter springs not the weights. You only get one pair of weights and 3 
pairs of springs in varying degrees of stiffness. If you use the lighter 
ones first (springs) re-adjust your timing.


Secondly, the seal on the dist. housing? I'm not using one. When I repalced 
my points dist. there was no seal to use. The HEI unit didn't come with a 
seal either. What gives? Chris are you using a seal?



Regards
Fernando Proietto

------------------------------

From: "Chris Brown Witt" <wittchri@pilot.msu.edu>
Date: Tue, 7 May 1996 18:22:33 -0300
Subject: engine found, etc.

Found a 69 442 engine, complete, spun bearing, has intake, carb #29251 [missing
the "70" part.... any idea why? Service replacement?]. Gotta sell some stuff to
finance it. Now would be a good time to make offers on stuff I have you might
like... Jason, Rocketeer, etc.

pushrod holes: No, they are NOT 90 degrees to the head surface. I did this
once. Once. Leave it to a machinist unless you can clamp it down at the correct
angle, and have a reamer. I drilled with a 9/16" spiral bit, it tends to grab a
lot bacause you're only drilling 1/32" each side. Not a flat surface where the
drill enters either.

Towing the race car down to Det. Sunday, pestered by the usual number of idiots
going 35 in the center or fast lanes. Found a neat way to do regular motorists
a favor: as you pass the turtles, honk a couple times to get their attention,
the gesture and point and mouth the words 'tire problem- you better check your
tires...' worked about 2/3 of the time... Heh.

Putting a Torker or similar intake on, having trouble getting a wrench on those
bolts which are coverd by the intake runner? On the race car's deluxe motor
with a Torker, I resorted to hex-drive cap screws, and used Bondhus ball-end
hex key to tighten them. Saved about 1/2 hour per installation, cost a few $
for the screws and about $15 for the ball-end drivers. Japan versions are
cheaper, but why bother?
- --
Chris  B. Witt         *the* Rocket Scientist
wittchri@pilot.msu.edu

------------------------------

From: Scott R Clark <mickeyd@selway.umt.edu>
Date: Tue, 7 May 1996 18:45:54 -0300
Subject: Wierd stuff, undercoating and paint.

	Hey everyone!
	
	Last night I hauled out my little 5 gallon hot-tank so I could soak some 
misc bolts, hardware, and the housing for my heater fan (that sort of 
snail shaped thing).  Well, the thing has'nt been used in almost 4 months 
and only had about a gallon of water left in it.  While I was buying 
groceries last night I also picked up a can of Red Devil Lye to dump in 
since I figured it was about time to add some more anyway.  

	Got home and started soaking everything, and dumped the whole can 
of lye in.  I proceded to start cleaning the blower motor and fan with a 
wire brush and brake cleaner.  Ok, cool, right?  Well, this morning I 
went out to check the stuff and see how if it was clean yet.  Got a real 
surprise!  I pulled the fan housing out and found cola colored crystals 
had formed all over it!!  Pulled the bolts out, and they were covered 
too!  They were big crystals too.  Made the things look like a 6th grade 
science project or something out of an old Star Trek episode.  Really 
weird!!

	What apparently happened was when I dumped an entire can of lye 
into that little bit of water (already had lots of lye in it) it created 
a super saturated solution, and when I put stuff in there the NaOH 
started coming out of solution and forming these big crystals!  After I 
took a couple pics (had too!) I stuck the things back in the tank and 
filled it with hot water.  Looks like they dissolved ok. Moral of the 
story--use one can of lye for every 5 gallons of water!!  (the formula I 
used originally...have to remember to stick to it!)  

	Anyway, the stuff should be nice and shiny clean by tonight (barring 
any more strange crystal formations).  Also got the blower motor nice 
and shiny too :)	
	
	One other thing--the frame has some sort of tar like coating on it, 
and when I'm done cleaning everything I would like to try to find something 
similar to put on it (instead of just painting it.)  Anybody have any 
suggestions?  I have'nt really seen anything quite like it yet.  And 
strangely enough, the blower motor was also coated with the stuff.  Weird.
	  
	Also, I'm looking for semi-gloss paint 
for the inner fenders/core support/etc. ( wasn't somebody else too?)  Any 
suggestions for that?  I plan on taking thoes big chunks of sheet 
metal down to Jerrys Custom Engines for the hot-tank treatment, and 
I want to paint them soon after.       

			Scott
		1960 Oldsmobile Rocket 98

------------------------------

From: "Andrew C. Green" <acg@frame.com>
Date: Tue, 7 May 1996 18:03:53 -0300
Subject: Re: Wierd stuff, undercoating and paint. 

>	One other thing--the frame has some sort of tar like coating on it, 
>and when I'm done cleaning everything I would like to try to find something 
>similar to put on it (instead of just painting it.)  Anybody have any 
>suggestions?  I have'nt really seen anything quite like it yet.  And 
>strangely enough, the blower motor was also coated with the stuff.  Weird.

Sounds like dealer rustproofing. If you put rustproofing goop on by yourself
while you're reassembling you'll probably do it all right, but the dealer
goop tends to get applied by the lowest guy on the totem pole in the new car
prep area, and they spray it _everywhere_. I have a car battery on my shelf
that's been carefully rustproofed all down two sides...

Okay, okay, I admit that the battery has _not_ rusted yet.

>	Also, I'm looking for semi-gloss paint 
>for the inner fenders/core support/etc. ( wasn't somebody else too?)

I recall that this paint was simply called "Engine Black" at the dealership,
but don't remember much else about it. It is indeed a fairly thick semi-gloss
and (allegedly) had some self-healing qualities to cover minor scratches.
Been years since I went looking for it, though; hopefully someone else here
will know more.

Andrew C. Green            (312) 266-4431
Datalogics, Inc.
441 W. Huron               Internet: acg@frame.com
Chicago, IL  60610-3498    FAX: (312) 266-4473

------------------------------

From: Toronado66@aol.com
Date: Tue, 7 May 1996 19:33:05 -0300
Subject: Stiff Automatic Gear Selector 

Subj:	Stiff Automatic Gear Selector
Date:	05/06/96
To:	oldsmobile@ccn.cs.dal.ca

RE-POST

To all Olds owners with automatics:

Has anyone ever experienced a real stiff gear selector?  So stiff, in fact,
you REALLY have to get on the selector arm to go from park to drive. This
problem seems to have occured with about half of the Toros I owned. It also
seems worse after a long winter storge!

OK...been through the obvious. WD-40'd the linkages (on steering column and
pivot where it goes into the transmission) and had some relief, but not much.
I was told that if you gently tap the pivot with a Ford wrench (hammer) you
dislodge crud that builds up on the internal connection inside the
tranny......tried....but doesn't work. Maybe I should REALLy give it a rap?
 ): 

I guess I'm down to some sort of binding that is occurring "within" the
steering column sleeve before it even gets to the end of the shaft and before
the connecting arm linkage.

I have had Toros that are so silky you can shift them with one finger, others
you need two hands to slelect your gear!!

This really bugs me!

TIA

------------------------------

From: urbanch@magi.com (Chris Urban)
Date: Tue, 7 May 1996 19:53:22 -0300
Subject: Re: Windage Tray 

Finally thought I'd break down and order Mondello's CT850 windage tray and
give it a try. Well  at least he's consistent. The fit is terrible having to
pound out even aftermarket oil pans for it to clear properly. the problem
with this is that they are made quite brittle and weak by this procedure. I
finally had enough and modified 2 stock pans to combine into 1 that will
work. By cutting about 75% of both pan bottoms out and using the extra metal
to make one generously deep pan i managed to get his windage tray to mount
properly. I think from now on I will continue manufacturing my own parts as
Mondello's leave a lot to be desired. I should know better by now. 

P.S. Just ordered the new Fuel Injection unit from Dick Miller

------------------------------

From: urbanch@magi.com (Chris Urban)
Date: Tue, 7 May 1996 19:53:13 -0300
Subject: Re: Methods of painting headers 

Try Eastwood company's cast iron exghaust paint. It is real tough, never
burns off, but on the minus side it is a real flat paint.



>I've heard of several methods of getting paint to stick to headers.  
>Almost all of them include heating up or baking the paint in several 
>stages so that it does not just "burn off" at one time.  One method 
>involves using a propane torch but I haven't seen much success with that 
>method in friends' cars that have employed it.  Another method I've heard 
>of but never tried is to fire up the car, let it run until you smell the 
>paint a little, then shut it down and let it cool off.  Repeat until the 
>paint smell is gone.  Obviously, this is no good for breaking in an 
>engine, and in any event will take lots and lots of time, but perhaps the 
>results may be worth it? -shrug-
>
>%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
> I used to think that the Information age would spawn a great
> revolution as more people got smarter due to access to more
> information.  To the contrary, now that any idiot can use the
> Net, the integrity of the information contained therein has
> been corrupted.                          --Suntzu@ohana.com
>%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
>
>
>
>

------------------------------

From: urbanch@magi.com (Chris Urban)
Date: Tue, 7 May 1996 19:53:16 -0300
Subject: Re: engine found, etc. 

I'd be curious to see what that car will run Chris, keep us posted!



>Found a 69 442 engine, complete, spun bearing, has intake, carb #29251 [missing
>the "70" part.... any idea why? Service replacement?]. Gotta sell some stuff to
>finance it. Now would be a good time to make offers on stuff I have you might
>like... Jason, Rocketeer, etc.
>
>pushrod holes: No, they are NOT 90 degrees to the head surface. I did this
>once. Once. Leave it to a machinist unless you can clamp it down at the correct
>angle, and have a reamer. I drilled with a 9/16" spiral bit, it tends to grab a
>lot bacause you're only drilling 1/32" each side. Not a flat surface where the
>drill enters either.
>
>Towing the race car down to Det. Sunday, pestered by the usual number of idiots
>going 35 in the center or fast lanes. Found a neat way to do regular motorists
>a favor: as you pass the turtles, honk a couple times to get their attention,
>the gesture and point and mouth the words 'tire problem- you better check your
>tires...' worked about 2/3 of the time... Heh.
>
>Putting a Torker or similar intake on, having trouble getting a wrench on those
>bolts which are coverd by the intake runner? On the race car's deluxe motor
>with a Torker, I resorted to hex-drive cap screws, and used Bondhus ball-end
>hex key to tighten them. Saved about 1/2 hour per installation, cost a few $
>for the screws and about $15 for the ball-end drivers. Japan versions are
>cheaper, but why bother?
>--
>Chris  B. Witt         *the* Rocket Scientist
>wittchri@pilot.msu.edu
>
>
>

------------------------------

From: Dave Voorhis <dave@armchair.mb.ca>
Date: Tue, 7 May 1996 20:20:13 -0300
Subject: Re: Stiff Automatic Gear Selector 

>To all Olds owners with automatics:
>
>Has anyone ever experienced a real stiff gear selector?  So stiff, in fact,
>you REALLY have to get on the selector arm to go from park to drive. This
>problem seems to have occured with about half of the Toros I owned. It also
>seems worse after a long winter storge!

Ah...  I know this one well.  In my '67 Toro, it reached the point where I
was considering inventing a hydraulic gizmo to move the damn lever.  Since
running hydraulic lines from the power steering pump to a floor-mounted
hydraulic cylinder didn't quite suit my wife's sense of aesthetics (despite
the unspeakable coolness of such a thing) I decided to try WD-40ing
everything in sight.  That had minimal effect.  Then I disassembled the
linkage from the column to the bellcrank, and from the bellcrank to the
transmission.  It turned out the bellcrank was almost completely seized.  I
removed it, hammered out the moving part, greased it thoroughly, and
re-assembled.  Works most happy now.

Dave Voorhis, Yet Another Toro Guy
dave@armchair.mb.ca
http://www.armchair.mb.ca/~dave

------------------------------

From: PHartlieb@aol.com
Date: Tue, 7 May 1996 21:10:48 -0300
Subject: Aurora Promo Update 

No more Aurora promos are from Alpha One, from what I understand.  Garnet Red
ones are almost impossible to get, and the Champagne & Silver Teal are
starting to become a challenge to find.  If you are looking for any of these,
call your local Olds dealer, then start calling all the Olds dealers within
driving radius of your home.  You may get lucky and find some.  It seems even
the model dealers are having trouble locating these.  Good news tho', they're
coming out with a promo of the Aurora Indy Pace Car.  Alpha One is taking
orders for these, shipment to be made around July.  Price quoted to me was
$15.95.  Call Alpha One if interested.  1-800-817-3980

Paul

------------------------------

From: gludlam@bcinet.net (Gregg Ludlam)
Date: Tue, 7 May 1996 22:15:28 -0300
Subject: Re: Stiff Automatic Gear Selector 

>I have had Toros that are so silky you can shift them with one finger, others
>you need two hands to slelect your gear!!

Hmmm, that sounds like my shifter - silky smooth...of course, it's the ONLY
thing on this car thats silky smooth.  Ok, back to unpacking boxes...


- -Gregg, the '67 Toro guy

------------------------------

End of oldsmobile-digest V1 #169
********************************

